Today’s kids are getting bigger and that means they could die before you…

How could you not know if your child is fat? It may sound implausible – surely it’d be glaringly obvious if your child was on the podgy side? But in a recent national opinion poll of 1,000 parents who had children aged four to seven, only 14% who had obese children considered their child was even overweight. The rest thought their child was healthy and a normal weight.

But before you tut and think that just doesn’t apply to you, did you know that a 10-year-old child’s ribs should be clearly visible? Most of us would consider a child with sticky-out bones to be underweight, but that’s how healthy kids that age should look.

‘Parents are unaware their children are fat and when they’re told, they are surprised and often angry,’ says consultant paediatrician Mary Rolfe, who advises the government on obesity. Apart from the fact that overweight children are more likely to suffer from psychological problems, it’s not just bigger clothes that is the issue. The very real physical health issues are evident, too.

Fat facts
We hear stories in the media all the time about how the nation is getting fatter and, right now, 25% of boys and 33% of girls between the ages of two and 19 are overweight or obese in the UK. That is a lot of children who are at risk of serious health problems.

Type 2 diabetes, once called adult onset diabetes, because it hit the middle-aged overweight, has had to have a name change because kids are being diagnosed in their thousands. And diabetes is not a mild disease; it can cause so many different health problems, from heart disease to blindness to amputation of limbs. Is that what we want for the next generation?

It’s too much
Surely a child’s weight is down to the parents, but it has been revealed that many of us simply don’t know what overweight looks like. A study last year in Plymouth revealed that 33% of mums and 57% of dads considered their child’s weight to be about right when, in fact, they were obese. One in 10 parents were worried that their child was underweight when they were a normal, healthy weight. So why don’t we know?

‘We have adjusted to overweight being the norm so it is hard to identify when a child has a problem,’ says consultant Mary Rolfe. ‘The media often portrays the extreme cases of childhood obesity and most children do not look obviously overweight. In comparison with the images the media portrays, they look slim.

‘But even lesser degrees of being overweight can lead to obesity and future health problems in adult life.’

And it’s not just parents who are getting it wrong. According to Mary, even healthcare professionals underestimate children’s weight. ‘When shown pictures of overweight children they mis-categorise children as being a healthier weight than they are, unless the child is exceptionally obese,’ she says.

What’s the UK doing?
The growing problem is currently being addressed by the government. In 2005, the National Child Measurement Programme was introduced to monitor the epidemic of childhood obesity. As soon as children start primary school, their height and weight are measured and again in the last year, when they are around 10.

Parents are then informed how healthy the weight of their child actually is. According to Mary, many are surprised and angered if the result is not favourable and this is simply because so many children and adults are overweight it has become the norm. And children of a normal, healthy weight are becoming unusual.

Why is it so bad? The answer, according to dietician Juliette Kellow, is obvious. ‘They are not doing enough exercise and eating junk food.’

A survey revealed that the problem starts from an early age – nine out of 10 toddlers are citing junk food as their food of choice with chicken nuggets, fishfingers, chocolate and crisps topping their must-eat lists. And where does that come from? It can only be the parents and that’s where the problems start.

‘Children’s diets generally get worse,’ says Juliette. ‘Eight to 16-year-olds are spending £549 million on the way to and from school mostly on confectionery, fizzy drinks and crisps – that is an increase of 213% in just seven years.’

Now what?
If your child has been told he or she is overweight, don’t panic. You will be given plenty of health-related tips on how to make a difference before it’s too late. ‘Information is offered to help parents get their child into the healthy weight range and many families see it as a wake-up call to ensure their family become more active and eat more healthily,’ says Mary. ‘Once obesity is established, it is hard to reverse. Less serious levels of being overweight are easier to correct.’

And it will not only benefit your child, but you as well – being a healthy weight cuts the risk of contracting some serious health conditions, like cancer and heart disease, and you’ll look and feel better as well as setting your child
a good example.

‘While the introduction of the programme has been controversial, most parents will appreciate that it offers the opportunity to improve their child’s life and protect them from the real health problems that being overweight and obese present,’ says Mary.

Schools around the country, too, are now making a greater effort to ensure that children under their care spend time in a healthier environment with better chances for healthy food choices and for taking part in physical activity.

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Obese kids are at risk of…

• Heart disease
• Certain cancers
• High blood pressure
• Joint problems
• Psychological problems
• Diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes

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Dr Chris says… ’Obesity is an epidemic and it’s down to a lack of exercise and bad diet. It’s a ticking timebomb – something has got to be done about it now because very soon kids are going to be dying before their parents.

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Images: Getty